Take a Family-Friendly Trip to Spartanburg
While you may know that the Spartanburg area has plenty of places to grab a handcrafted drink, the BMW Performance Center, and more for adults to enjoy, we’ve also got wholesome fun for the whole family.
What better way to spend a school break, holiday, or long weekend than on a little family vacation? Venture beyond the typical movie nights and trips to the bowling alley for a weekend that’s lively, memorable, and even a little educational! Start planning your visit, complete with stops at:
Children’s Museum of the Upstate-Spartanburg
Who says learning can’t be fun! This state-of-the-art museum is designed for children from birth to five years old with age-appropriate learning goals and educational standards inspiring each exhibit.
Work with your babies on important milestones like pointing, singing, and counting in the Palmetto Basics Infant Play Zone before skipping on over to the Go Go Spartanburg exhibit where they can work together to move toy people, cars, trucks, planes, and trains within a scaled down model of our community.
Then watch as your slightly older children play pretend in the market, fall in love with nature as they explore the whimsical treehouse, splash and play at the water table, pretend to be architects at the Spartanburg Rising exhibit, and play doctor in a miniature version of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System.
All of the museum’s exhibits are specially built for children with lower counter heights, padded areas for comfortable crawling, and other details that make the experience all the more fun for tiny tots. Check the museum’s calendar for upcoming special events, then come enjoy a day of learning disguised as fun at the Children’s Museum of the Upstate in Spartanburg.
Spartanburg Science Center
Founded to inspire an excitement for science, the Spartanburg Science Center has over 23 exhibits meant to excite, engage, and educate young minds.
Your kiddos can interact with live animals, take a journey through time as they explore a collection of fossils, conduct chemistry experiments, experience virtual reality, and more.
Geared toward kindergarteners through eighth graders, this hub for science education and enrichment promises a learning adventure your family won’t soon forget!
Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport Park & Playground
Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport is home to another wide-open splash pad perfect for families looking to cool off and catch a few planes taking off and landing. And, the Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport, opened in 1927, was the first airport in South Carolina. (How’s that for history?)
If you want to hop off the splash pad, the park also has a walking trail, open fields, two playground areas – one for younger kids and one for older kids – and covered picnic areas if you need a touch of shade.
Speed Factory Indoor Racing
Just outside of Downtown Spartanburg, Speed Factory Indoor Racing, brings a vibrant, graffiti aesthetic to its races, with numerous lap or time options for your treks around the track.
Packages of 10-minute races or a track rental for three hours or more are available, as is the Arrive and Drive session, with 15-25 road course laps depending on your skill, or 45-55 laps on the circle track over a 12-minute session.
A $5 membership is required to drive at Speed Factory, but no additional licenses or fees are required after that. Party rentals including races, games like Cornhole, food and drinks are available, and Speed Factory staff is equipped to handle all safety precautions.
Family Fundays
If you’ve got a budding artist in your family, they’ll love creating a masterpiece at one of Spartanburg Art Museum’s hands-on workshops.
Craft monoprint cards to send to a special friend, learn how to paint with all the colors of the wind in a watercolor class, build a kite to fly on a sunny day back at home, and more at these seasonally-themed classes. Plus, all supplies and materials are included, so all you’ll need to bring is your imagination!
Check their calendar of events and register for an upcoming class here!
Looking for even more fun ways to fill your time? Check out our pre-made family itineraries! We did the work for you and built these have half-, full-, two-, and three-day plans so you can experience the best of Spartanburg County no matter when you visit.
Where are your favorite family-friendly spots in Spartanburg? Share all your favorite must-visit attractions with #OneSpartanburg for a chance to have your photos featured on our social media accounts (and obviously follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest if you don’t already)!
The photo in our header image was provided by the Chapman Cultural Center and Cody H. Owens!